Growing Up

Today was grown ups' day in every way. Tunage:

Patti Scialfa - Play Is As It Lays. Isn't it great when adults can make adult music for adults and it hits the spot? Great music. Not for the young at heart.
Bruce - WOAD, The River.
Marvin Gaye - I Want You. This is more of a dj's sampler record with Let's Get It On in mind. Lyrically void but sonically rich and deep, this is a good mood record. Some records need as little lyrical flourishes as possible as to not step on the toes of the music. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here is one of those records, especially side two of that amazing record. This is another. Keep the kids out of the room but pour a drink, set your mind to something and let the band take you to a nice and mellow groovy place. Fantastic.

President Obama (man, I never get tired of saying that) gave his first press conference tonight, shocking people that never knew that a job of the world's most powerful human is to possess the ability to use two-syllable words. Not only did the president take fifty minutes' worth of questions, he gave detailed and poignant answers. Of course, every president needs to hold his cards close and even sometimes bluff; while doing so tonight, Obama still showed the courtesy of a thoughtful answer all the while not embarassing himself tripping over English as his second language. Loquaciousness and intelligence need not accompany one another I know; however, in this case they do. In Obama's predecessor's case, neither existed. As an educator, I could tell that Obama is still a professor and lawyer at heart; he could talk all night if given the chance, explaining things to minute and maybe even petty detail. He reminded me of Woodrow Wilson, this nation's most classicially educated president, in his desire to keep politics and legislation an academic exercise and not petty excuse to slap his opponents in the family jewels. If anything else, Obama's opponents can not say that he has ridden the rails of divisiveness into town. If anything, the president has helped toned down the rancor and division in the city and nation which need his presence just at the right time. God knows had B__h still been at 1600 PA, how much dawdling and cheap gossip would still be dished out.

And God bless Helen Thomas. Great seeing her and her press credentials back in the White House.